Time Magazine (Issue: 05/23/05) Features Xbox 360

[Gruntling]

I was at the bookstore today and something caught my attention. Time magazine's cover features Xbox 360 and Bill Gates. I thought it was a very interesting read, so I recommend picking it up. Xbox 360 is a lot more powerful and in-depth than I thought. Gates plans to take over the market too! For example here's an excerpt:
...It will be part of the all-important second wave next spring. "It's perfect," Gates says, radiant with bloodlust. "The day Sony launches [the new PlayStation], and they walk right into Halo 3."

Seriously, the console war will reach an all-new level, more fierce than ever.

[EvilPsycho]

Winning over the gaming world is like a chess match. You have to know when to attack and defend. Right now Bill Gates has a rook by the pawn about to be promoted to a queen.(meaning Bill Gates is winning?) Well yeah.
Bill Gates is smart.

[Grey Jinjo]

Except GTA is a PS3 launch title, and that games doesn't exactly sell bad itself. Still, it is a strong offensive. Good job Gates.

[Icy Guy]

Seriously, the console war will reach an all-new level, more fierce than ever.
I disagree. I believe it'll end up at the same level it was during the early 90's, except without commercials saying "Genesis does what Nintendon't." Competition rarely hurts the market, no matter how fierce it may be.

In other words, it looks like the upcoming generation is going to be very interesting...



...and feature three (relatively) ugly consoles.

[Gruntling]

...and feature three (relatively) ugly consoles.
Yes, all of them aren't very appealing. Supposedly Xbox 360's design went through many transitions and Microsoft even hired two sculptors from Tokyo and San Francisco to give it the most pleasing look... but to tell you the truth I think it's the ugliest! The PlayStation 3 isn't too bad, but it's more bulky than I thought it would be.

[Hakey Wake]

I'd say the PS3 is the ugliest...damn.

Should I get one I'll always refer to it as "The Fridge".

[Banjo-Fella]

I think the Revolution looks fairly nice, actually, in kind of a 2001: A Space Odyssey way. Aside from the horrendous logo.

[Grey Jinjo]

My opinions...

Revolution - Worst design. Simple. Bland. Unappealing. Hell, it looks almost like the Playstation 2 which isn't even Nintendo's preceding console. The blue light seems overly cliche, and having a flap to come down makes it resemble television sets. That isn't too large of a problem, but it still irks me.

PS3 - Medium design. While being different and crafty, it also bares resembles to far too many current inventions. Scanners and printers come to mind. A fridge was mentioned earlier. It just bares resemblance to things it shouldn't and thus gets (in?)justifiably ridiculed.

X-box 360 - Best design. However, I think too much thought was put in to it. All of the interviews I've watched videos talk about articulant symbolism and such portrayed by the concave structure of the console. I just see a video game playback unit. Anyone with me on this?

[Gold Jinjo]

I'd say the PS3 is the ugliest...damn.

Should I get one I'll always refer to it as "The Fridge".

The best description I've heard is "something Captain Picard would make his sandwiches in.", next to "looks like a George Foreman grill." The 360 also looks like a kitchen appliance, but not as rediculously as the PS3.

Even though the Revolution will obviously change from its prototype design when the final comes out (which Nintendo has stated -- even that it's going to be smaller. And let's not forget what the Nintendo DS looked liked at E3 compared to it's final design), I'd say Nintendo has the smartest looking console of the three. Maybe not the best looking (read: something that you could casually place beside a bread maker), but unlike Microsoft and Sony who are catering to the slobbering MTV idiots who like pretty, shiny things, Nintendo is actually aiming for portability as well as something you can easily place in your entertainment center.

[Hakey Wake]

Had this not been removed from the PS3 just before it's unveiling, well, i'd wait in line for days just to buy one: Grill! (http://www.ps3grill.com)

[Gold Jinjo]

The blue light seems overly cliche

Wait... how's that possible? It's just a blue light surrounding the CD slot. It's not any different than, say, the green light circling the Eject and Power buttons on the Xbox. Or any other LED. The Xbox 360 and PS3 have LEDs... or is it just because it's Nintendo, it's automatically stupid?

I'd say that's rather petty. I can understand the "simple, bland and unappealing" design, even though it's not final, but if we're going down that road, then we might as well criticize the square buttons, or the "I/O" on the power button (who uses that these days? Anyone who's anyone knows the I goes within the half-circle), or the video connector on the back which Nintendo has used since the SNES days.

[R Hunter]

I really don't have any problems with the Revolution's design. The only two things that bother me are:

1. It looks a little like the PS2
2. That snot green color scheme Bleah

[Grey Jinjo]

L.E.D. lights are different from BEAMS of light. In movies a beam of light is always utilized to signify importance. A treasure chest is opened and a beam of light comes from it. A medallion is at the bottom of the ocean floor with a beam of light trailing from it. Using a beam of light seems overly cliche to me. But that is just an opinion, perhaps I AM over-analyzing it.

From what I heard the X-box 360 has a similar feature on the top of its console. However that is suppose to be more like an entire VORTEX of light in the form of a sphere. If that is true, than that is FAR worse than Nintendo.

[Gold Jinjo]

Ahh, I thought it was a LED. Meh :)

Though I think your'e right in some regards. Some of these designs seem a bit overdramatic and "futuristic" (as I've complained above concerning the PS3 and Xbox 360 ;). I'm thankful that the Revolution isn't as ambitious in design, though it isn't without its mundane faults. When I had noticed the GameCube controller ports and memory slots, I thought it was a bit oddly placed. Though the panel nicely covers it when not in use, so it doesn't look too rediculous.

However -- Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo won't be able to please everyone. The Xbox was too large, and VCR-like. The GameCube was purple. The PS2... well, I don't actually recall any problems with the PS2's design, although they've remedied that with the PS3 :p

I am at least glad that the three consoles aren't as ugly as some of the concept art I've seen on Google's image search. I don't know what some people are thinking, but I'm glad they have other day jobs ;)